One of Malcolm’s talents is to persuade people to give up their time to work with and support the school, be it in the form of a Governor, on the Parents Association or in his black book of people who ‘can do stuff’!  It doesn’t matter if a classroom needs painting, a riverbank needs clearing, or a drain needs clearing, there will be a person who will come and ‘do’. Some jobs of course could only be done by Malcolm himself, many of us will have marked the beginning of Autumn by hearing the quiet hum of the leaf blower on a Saturday afternoon….

A repertoire of afterschool clubs now operate throughout the school year, run by staff and parents, and children compete in various sporting and community events. A key event in the school calendar is the crowning of the May Queen where, as part of the celebrations, children dance around the Maypole ably coached by Elizabeth.  Who will continue this?  An area of apprehension for the incoming Headteacher we know!

Of course it is also the little things that make the difference; there isn’t a child’s name that Malcolm and Elizabeth don’t know, and probably the parents too, and it is this detail and care that helps to make the school a great place to be. Upon hearing of their retirement, I know of many children who have now left the school, and adults, have taken a wander to school to see if they can catch them to say thank you and good luck.

And so Saturday 18th July we said thank you to them at a surprise celebration of their time at Eastington, and we had our chance to thank them for their contribution to our community. Many faces old and new and from both near and far; staff, governors, friends and helpers of the school, local authority staff and of course Nicola and Iona Strang, turned out in force to enjoy a lovely evening of food, drink and friendship.

As many of you will be aware Eastington School is saying goodbye and good luck to its Head and Deputy Head, and on July 18th a surprise party was held at the school to celebrate their time with us.

Elizabeth joined the school in 1981 as a teacher and Malcolm in 1990 as Deputy Head, moving from Frimley School.  Within a couple of years and following the secondment of the incumbent Head, Malcolm become Headteacher, Elizabeth became Deputy Headteacher and so the partnership began.

During his time at Eastington, Malcolm embarked on various projects for the local authority, including a secondment to the Link advisory team, during which time Elizabeth became the Acting Head at Eastington.

Malcolm successfully took Executive headship roles in local schools in need of support and guidance, alongside his role at Eastington.

Eastington School has seen many changes to its fabric during Malcolm and Elizabeth’s tenure. Some of you will remember when the toilet block was outside and the classrooms were predominately prefabs in the playground. One of their biggest achievements is the new hall build in 2008, which has allowed more of the playground to be reclaimed, increased space for staff car parking and a provided a better learning environment for the children. Added to which, parents for the first time were able to enjoy class assemblies and the Christmas school performances now held at school. However, not content with sitting back, each year since has seen a change; an outside play area, a playground sunshade, special lighting to support a child’s need, a climbing wall; the list goes on…

Eastington School marks the retirement of its

 Headteacher Malcolm Strang and

Deputy Headteacher Elizabeth Greening…

We sincerely wish you both a happy retirement and a massive thank you!